Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Dress Tutorial

Instructions...  

1.  Start with a clean pillowcase or fabric tube (to make the seam on your tube either serge it, french seam it or straight stitch it and then go back and zig zag the seam).  If using a fabric tube you will need to hem your dress. 


2.  Cut off the top of the pillowcase (if using fabric tube this is not necessary) Fold the fabric in half lengthwise.  Placing armhole templates on the outside of dress cut out the armholes together.  When you open you dress you will end up with an armhole on each side.


3.  Fold down the top edge 1/4" and press (both back and front)


4.  Fold edge again... 1" to 1 ¼” and press.  This will become the neck casing for the elastic... do this on both the front and the back of the dress.  We sometimes fold the fabric over an extra ½” and add a second row of stitching which makes a cute ruffle above the casing. (but you must cut the armhole 1” longer if doing this)


5.  Sew.  The casing will fit 1/2" or 3/4" elastic.  If you are making the traditional casing, sew along the edge of the casing.  If you are making the casing with a ruffle, add a second row of stitching ½” from the top of the dress.


6.  Cut two pieces of elastic. (Use sizing chart to determine the length)


7.  Using a large safety pin thread the elastic into the casing...


8.  Sew securely (catching elastic), make sure the stitching is close enough to the edge not to show when you add bias tape.   


9.  Cut two pieces of double fold wide bias tape.  Use the chart to determine length.

10.  Find the halfway point of the bias tape... starting at the middle point under the arm match the halfway point of the bias tape and pin.  (Sandwich the dress between the folds of the bias tape, with the wider side of the tape on the underside.)


11.  Sew bias tape from one end to the other (There should be no raw ends on the bias tape!  Either sew across the bias tape at end to finish or sew in 1/3 from edge to secure).  Being sure to backstitch 6 to 8 stitches where the bias tape joins to the dress and at the ends of bias tape.





12.  Add a pocket and you are all done!!




3 comments:

Jan said...

A friend of mine has been making these dresses for sometime. She got me started and I love it. They are so easy and fun to make. What a wonderful organization!!!

All For Him said...

what do you mean by a fabric tube? Two pieces of material sewn together with openings on each end? How does the 'tube' size correspond to the measurements chart for the dresses? if the measurement on the chart shows 25 X 44 does that mean the tube is 25 X 44 or is it two pieces of 25 X 22 sewn together?

Suzanne said...

It is one piece of fabric… the full width of the fabric which is 44" wide and cut it 25" long